Inmate Antonio Priester Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Drugs into FCI-Berlin

Antonio Priester, 37, an inmate at FCI-Berlin, has admitted to attempting to smuggle Schedule I controlled substances into federal prison, pleading guilty to one count of attempting to possess prohibited objects within a federal correctional facility. The charge marks a direct assault on prison security protocols, with Priester orchestrating an online campaign to flood the facility with synthetic drugs.

Priester specifically targeted DMT and jwh-018—two potent, mind-altering substances banned under federal law. According to court documents and statements made during his change of plea hearing, the 37-year-old used email as his weapon, directing multiple outside contacts to specific websites where the drugs could be purchased. His instructions didn’t stop at procurement—he laid out detailed plans for how to sneak the contraband past guards and into the prison’s inner confines.

The scheme unfolded in March 2017, when Priester began sending a series of emails instructing at least one individual to purchase jwh-018 from a designated vendor online. The messages included explicit directions for concealing and delivering the drugs, demonstrating a calculated effort to exploit communication loopholes afforded to inmates. Investigators say the operation revealed a growing trend of incarcerated individuals using digital channels to perpetuate criminal activity behind bars.

Now facing the full weight of federal prosecution, Priester will be sentenced on June 15th, 2018, in U.S. District Court. Under federal law, any sentence imposed must be served consecutively to the time he is already serving—meaning he’ll spend additional years locked up, paying for his attempt to turn FCI-Berlin into a hub for illicit drug trade.

The Bureau of Prisons led the investigation, uncovering the digital paper trail that tied Priester to the attempted smuggling ring. Their probe highlighted vulnerabilities in inmate email monitoring systems and raised alarms about the ease with which contraband can be coordinated from within federal custody.

Assistant United States Attorney Donald A. Feith prosecuted the case, underscoring the Department of Justice’s crackdown on internal prison corruption and drug infiltration. With convictions like Priester’s, federal authorities aim to send a message: even behind bars, crime won’t go unchecked.